Panthers-Red Wings Preview
The Florida Panthers are heading into one of their longest road trips of the season on a positive note and will try to stay in a good mood by adding to their recent success in Detroit.
The Panthers seek a fifth consecutive road win against the Red Wings but will face a team attempting to extend a six-game point streak Sunday.
Florida (9-9-4) topped the New York Islanders 3-2 in a shootout and snapped a three-game skid in Friday's finale to its five-game homestand. Aleksander Barkov and goaltender Roberto Luongo allowed the Panthers come away with two points after they blew a two-goal lead in the third period.
Luongo moved into eighth place all-time with his 408th win, surpassing Glenn Hall.
"It was big for us," Luongo said. "We've been up and down for quite a while, but this was the last game before a long road trip, so it was important for us to get the win."
The Panthers are beginning their five-game trek at Joe Louis Arena, where they've gone 5-0-1 in their last six visits. Each of those games has been decided by one goal or in a shootout.
They won three of four overall against Detroit in 2014-15, but the Red Wings (12-8-3) are 4-0-2 in their last six contests. They opened a six-game homestand with a 3-2 overtime loss to Boston on Wednesday but won 4-3 in the extra period against Edmonton two days later.
Niklas Kronwall scored the winning goal in Detroit's third consecutive overtime game and sixth straight home contest that's been decided by one goal.
"We got to continue to mature as a hockey team and learn how to win those games in regulation," coach Jeff Blashill said. "It's a process, it's something we're going to have to get better at."
Rookie forward Dylan Larkin registered his fifth goal in six contests while Tomas Tatar scored his fifth in eight games. Tatar has two goals and four assists in nine career matchups versus Florida.
Luongo kept him out of the net and stopped 26 shots in a 3-1 victory March 19 after going 2-4-0 with a 4.47 goals-against average in his prior six matchups.
Petr Mrazek will start in net for the Red Wings on Sunday and is 1-1-0 with a 3.55 GAA in two matchups against Florida, both on the road last season. He's 2-1-2 with a 1.72 GAA in six home appearances in 2015-16.
Tomas Jurco is expected return to Detroit's lineup after getting sent down to the minors Nov. 17, and Jakub Kindl is slated to get back on the ice after being a healthy scratch the last four contests.
Jurco, who had one assist in his first four games for the Red Wings, had five goals and four assists in five games with Grand Rapids.
"He went down and did what we asked him to do," Blashill told the team's official website. "He went down and was great from all accounts. We wanted him to gain some confidence. We think obviously playing the way he's played down there, he should come back with lots of confidence."
Detroit's Gustav Nyquist has five goals and one assist in his last seven games against Florida. His goal and assist in Friday's victory gave him just four points in his last nine contests.
The Panthers' Jaromir Jagr needs one goal to tie Marcel Dionne for fourth on the all-time list. He has three goals and two assists in his past five games against Detroit.